South Australia's Wayne Phillips was a rakishly built left handed batsman
and wicketkeeper who represented both state and country over the course of a
first class career that spanned the thirteen year period between the 1977-78
and 1990-91 seasons. Despite an unusual grip on the blade (one hand was
placed close to the top of the handle and the other near to the bottom),
Phillips was a natural strokemaker and one who was particularly confident
when executing horizontal bat shots. It was this confidence - as well as a
willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of his team - which was
integral in his emergence as a successful opener for the Croweaters in the
early 1980s and in his elevation to Test level at the start of the 1983-84
international season. Phillips enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top flight:
his commanding 159 against Pakistan in Perth made him only the fourteenth
Australian in Test history to compile a century on debut. But it was not
long before the same sense of selflessness that had inspired his
transformation from a middle order player into an opening batsman acted as a
millstone around his neck. In mid-career, he was asked to become a
wicketkeeper on the basis of his experience as a gloveman at underage and
club level and as a response to the development of a gaping hole in the
Australian team following Rod Marsh's departure. While the move was not
without some short-term benefits - his sound wicketkeeping skills and a
courageous second Test century on tour in the Caribbean in 1984 encouraged
hopes of a long and fruitful stint in the role - it effectively spelled the
beginning of the end for his international ambitions. His productivity with
the bat waned so steadily thereafter that his Test and ODI careers were both
over within a mere three years. He subsequently remained a key player in
the South Australian team for a number of seasons but his career never again
touched the same heights as it had done previously. Ultimately, Phillips
became involved in full-time coaching work at the Australian Cricket Academy
in Adelaide, a role in which he still functions today. He can also
occasionally be heard as a television commentator on the Nine Network.
John Polack